Organisers behind a Detroit festival have announced they will be updating their controversial ticket pricing policy, which resulted in mass online pushback and one artist revoking her invitation to perform.

AfroFuture Fest originally advertised tickets as more expensive for white people but the idea, however well intended, was seen as a step leap in the wrong direction.

The early bird tickets to the festival were priced at $10 for People Of Colour and $20 for Non-People Of Colour. Once news of the pricing scheme hit online, it quickly went viral.

Moments later, the artist Tiny Jag who was set to perform on the bill announced she would be canning her scheduled performance. Tiny Jag, who’s grandmother was white, saying of the prices, “It seems almost like it has spite.”

AfroFuture

“It’s non-progressive and it’s not solution-focused in my eyes,” Tiny Jag says per Metro Times, “It seems almost like it has spite, and unfortunately with spite comes hate, and that’s just not obviously going to be a good direction for us to go if we’re looking for positive change.”

As it turns out, the socially charged prices were against Eventbrite’s T&Cs, with the ticketing platform telling CNN they don’t “permit events that require attendees to pay different prices based on their protected characteristics such as race or ethnicity.

Love Music?

Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.

“In this case, we have notified the creator of the event about this violation and requested that they alter their event accordingly.”

Initially, organisers justified the price disparity as a move to promote “equity over equality” citing the increasing problem of marginalised communities being excluded from art within their community based on their purchasing power, essentially creating classism within the arts.

At the end of the weekend, organisers tweeted that following the mass backlash, ultimately leading to death threats from white supremacists, they’d be stepping back from their original plan, instead opting for a $20 general admission price, and encouraging Non-POC punters to donate further.

Though perhaps a step too far, it’s an important for event organisers to remember to consider the local community whenever organising an event, and look at options such as allocating a certain amount of discounted tickets for local members to ensure accessibility.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine